You're not alone! Over the years, many of us have had bad experiences with RG&E, from minor inconveniences to major crises. High energy bills, poor service, and inhumane shutoffs are just some of the things we know need to change. Tell us your story to help show why we need to take our community's energy future back from greedy corporations like RG&E, and replace RG&E with a public utility!
Metro Justice often shares stories posted here on social media to build awareness around RG&E issues and momentum for a public utility as the solution. If you have any questions regarding how Metro Justice may share your story, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Organizing Director, Mohini Sharma ([email protected], 585-397-3534) or our Organizer and Policy Specialist for the RED Campaign, Michelle Wenderlich ([email protected], 585-397-3539).
Link to our Resources for Utility Bills page.
When I moved out of my apartment in July 2023, I received a bill for almost $1,000 for the place despite my account being up to date. When I called I was told I was being billed to “make up for years of estimates,” which makes zero sense to me. I sent in readings, and usually nobody was home when the meter reader came (because we work days). I was also paying for the new tenants’ service despite requesting a shut off and transfer. I opened a case with the PSC and they ruled in RG&E’s favor. I have no idea how their billing practices are acceptable.
Electric Delivery Fee RGE – Nov 14,023 – per kwh .05308
Electric Delivery Fee June 24, 2024 (six months) kwh .07388
It’s not easy translating decimals in terms of fractions…
a 0.0280 increase would appear small.
You can use a percentage calculator – but to understand easier 5 going up to 7 is like 10 going up to 14 – %40 increase.
Despite my mother having recent insulation improvements by Halco, her electricity for AC and additional heating has sky rocketed, blowing her budget by over over 250 this Summer.
An incredible unexpected burden.
REPORT TO METRO JUSTICE ABOUT RG&E INEPTITUDES
Re: RG&E Upgrade
When I returned from an August vacation there were several calls from RG&E about the upgrade. I also had a letter from RG&E asking me to call about this, which I did. I was told someone would be getting back to me and that I did not need to do anything else.
Today a similar letter came, I made the call and the person answering took down the information and said there was nothing else to be done, that someone would be calling me. When I told her that’s the same thing I had heard two weeks ago she transferred me to another RG&E telephone number, telling me that the number I called (866-734-3821) was no longer handling this matter. She also told me that the gas meter had been changed but that there was a screw loose somewhere and that I should give that information to the next person I talked with. After waiting a while the next agent asked for all the same information, said the monthly opt-out fee had already been put into effect and she would have to see if she could change it back. She also said I’d have to call another number about the loose screw. I told her I was not prepared to do that – if someone had reported a loose screw it was their responsibility to fix it – not for me to inform them of that again. The agent was away for a while and when she returned said that it all had been taken care of and that I would be hearing from someone within two weeks. When I told her that is what I had been told earlier today and also two weeks ago she simply repeated what she had said.
Gail Mott
288 Melrose St.
Rochester, NY 14619
Try this. They sent me a bill for over 4k this month. I called about it. They said it was an issue and would ifx it and call me back. They never did. So, I called constellation. Theybsaid rge canceled my last 8 bills (7 already paid) and then just pretty much said the 4 meter reads their techs did were all lies so they had to adjust it in the office to fit their narrative. They said this in different words, but they pretty much said it. Took us 3 hours and 4-5 “disconnections” today alone to speak with whoever the hell “Mr. Wright” is. Apparently he’s the big cheese in the Binghamton call center? Don’t know how we can’t just make an appointment at the local offices to speak with someone in person.
Anyways, this man cut me off at every turn of the corner and wouldn’t answer my questions, would gonoff in a tangent about some other non issue on our bill. When I would repeat the question he would say he’s not going over it again and diligently tried to get us to start a payment plan. This is all after a month of calling to figure this out. Every time we called the bills were further altered and more convoluted. Like sending a bill from them and constellation then considering it late, compiling the bill as a forwarded balance and sending it as a new bill. Truth is, they claim we have owed constellation hundreds of dollars every month. Constellation, on the other hand says that, other than the most recent/ disputed bill, we haven’t ever owed them more than like 104 a month. They were shocked because on the new bills that rge corrected (after 4 actual in person reads that I was there for) represented that in the last 6 months we somehow used the exact same amount of energy every other month. How that is possible is an anomaly to me. Like to the exact kwh.
Remember, all of these bills were canceled and reissued the same day I spoke to them on the phone about this for the first time.
I have almost every phone call recorded with conflicting information. I have almost every paper bill. I have video footage of their agents in my yard taking the meter readings that they now say we’re never taken. This is amongst other evidence and proof. Not tonwear a tin foil hat or anything…
I wish you all the best.
They had not checked the meter since summer of 2021, over a year before I moved in and insisted that I was liable for the previous tennent’s fees. It is important to note that the meter is not accessible to us, as it is in the basement and therefore in our downstairs neighbors’ rented space. It took numerous hours on the phone, multiple refusals of their default setting “Sorry, there’s nothing I can do, you’re just going to have to pay”, and finally getting a manager to admit that it was not fair for me to pay for someone else’s year of electricity overages for them to only make me pay a part of the total. I was still peeved, but content that I wasn’t footing all of the bill on an entry-level 20yr old’s income. Less than a month later I was hit with another huge bill, not coincidentally, stating it was from right when I moved in and they had missed it for over a year?… yeah, sure.
I know how scary debt can be, so I will always pay what I owe before budgeting for groceries and fun. My wardrobe is mostly hand-me-downs and work provided polos, we don’t go out more than monthly, and the only thing we regularly splurge on is higher-end dog food, but that’s $80 over the course of a few weeks. I have never missed a payment for RG&E, nor any other major bills like insurance, rent, T-Mobile, or my car, so I just don’t understand how this can happen. Their monopoly over Rochester and surrounding areas needs to be broken. If I can impart any advice to those looking to move here, make sure your home is supplied by Fairport Electric – the area is on the rise and rent may be climbing so I wish you luck, but it’s certainly worth it to be RG&E free.
My father worked for RGE for over 30 years before he retired in 1994. He started as a meter reader and then spent the remainder of his career in customer service at the main office on East Avenue. I share this information when I contact RGE about billing errors, because I want it to be clearly understood that I KNOW how a.) to read a meter and how b.) customers are supposed to be treated. I learned both things from my father as well as his former RGE co-workers.
Now it seems as though there is little to no accountability when it comes to generating accurate bills or to correcting costly billing errors. After months and months and months of repeated complaints to RGE (in-person, via email, and telephone), I was finally issued a $400+ credit to my account that I cannot yet say covers the full extent of overpayments due to billing errors since September of last year.
I am certain the only reason I received the credit is because I read the meter myself every month, and when I do, I take a photo of both gas and electric meters as well as a screenshot of the reading that I actually submit online to RGE, both before and after I hit “Enter.” Doing so has created consistent irrefutable documentation of my actual monthly energy usage that comes in handy like it did recently when RGE over-billed me, yet again, by 1020 kWh.
I suspect the fact that I also cc’d Congressman Morelle’s office in on the last email to RGE helped, that and the fact that I made a point of mentioning my conversation with a member of the Congressman’s staff concerning the ongoing issues with billing during my most recent telephone conversation with an RGE customer service representative.
Yesterday RGE installed “smart meters” at the house that are supposed to give me “more control over [my] monthly bills.” Somehow, I know that, despite the new meters, RGE will still manage to over-bill me and others. With that in mind, I have no intention of changing my monthly practice of reading the meters myself, capturing images, and calculating actual usage to keep RGE in check.
I told her that I had been reading my meter for the majority of the last 25 years and that I knew that I was reading it accurately, but that that was completely impossible. I have one gas furnace, and one hot water heater and no other gas appliances, I keep my heat at 68 or below at all times I always have.
Having that picture of my meter I thought was going to protect me and now I see that I am actually hurting myself by simply giving them an accurate picture. I Have no idea where to turn at this point By her calculations I will owe thousands of dollars and I could not pay this if I wanted to.
Like many of you I am scared and confused how they are able to get away with this.
I’m trying to be proactive. I don’t know what else to do.
I always use my phone to photograph my meter readings before I submit them. I don’t track their values month to month. I just submit them. On average my winter gas usage is around 170 therms 200 max. When I go the last build it stated I used 1200 therms, which is almost equivalent of what I used for all of last year. Reviewing the photographs I see that the January reading was 9795 while the February reading was 0995. We only use gas for heating the home , on demand hot water, and stove top cooking. Is it possible that there was a mechanical failure at rollover and the middle two digits never zeroed out? We had done nothing different during that time period to cause the usage of that much gas.
The typical monthly bill in one apartment in our owner-occupied house where I am one of the landlords and hold the account, was overcharged 8+ times, $350 instead of $35-$45. Another apartment was overcharged 4+ times, and another apartment, was not billed because of meter reading discrepancies. All these errors because the field staff person reading the meter read many or all of our meters incorrectly, ugh! I always read the meters and send them every month, but the RGE staff person overrides my readings for billing!
Would you share my story, RG&E quick to bill and slow or hesitant to refund? You know, that is my error, RG&E would likely have quickly sent a shut off notice!
Thank you for supporting the effort to find a study for a public utility!
Sincerely -Ed
I’d switch providers if I could.